Henry Overton Wills II

Henry Overton Wills II
the tomb of Henry Overton Wills II at Arnos Vale Cemetery

Henry Overton Wills II (3 July 1800 - 23 November 1871) was a 19th-century, British tobacco merchant who in 1830 co-founded W.D. & H.O. Wills, a company that by the late 1800s became the largest importer of tobacco, and manufacturer of tobacco products in Britain.

Career

Henry Overton Wills II was born on 3 July 1800 in Bristol to Henry Overton Wills I and his wife Ann Day. His father with a partner named Samuel Watkins had opened a tobacco shop in 1786 at 73 Castle Street in Bristol, and went on to head a succession of successful tobacco companies.[1] The younger Henry and his brother William Day Wills in 1815 joined their father's firm, and became co-owners of the company in 1826 when the elder Henry died. The brothers then in 1830 founded W.D. & H.O. Wills, which grew to become the leading importer of tobacco, and manufacturer of tobacco products in late 19th-century Britain. Henry in 1859 made his son Edward Payson Wills a partner in the firm, and Edward ultimately succeeded to his father's interests in the company.[2][3][4]

H.O. Wills II entered local politics in 1845 as a City Councillor for the St. Pauls district of Bristol and he continued to serve on the town council for several years until hearing problems forced him to retire from public duties. He also served in 1856 as Justice of the Peace. He was also an active a supporter of the Congregationalist faith, and he and his brother William were founder trustees in 1841 of the Hanham Chapel and in 1843 of the Barton Hill Chapel, both located in the Bristol suburbs. He died on 23 November 1871 in Bristol, and is buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery.[5][4][6]

Family

H.O. Wills II was married twice, first to Isabella Board (1806-1843), with whom he had eleven children, and second to Mary Seccombe (c.1815-1897), with whom he had another seven children. However, not all of these children survived to adulthood.[7] His son Henry Overton Wills III became the first Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and two other sons Sir Edward Payson Wills and Sir Frederick Wills, became baronets. One of his younger sons Sir Frank William Wills became a noted architect, who was knighted for his accomplishments.[8]

Residence - Ashley House, Somerset Street, Kingsdown, Bristol.

References

  1. ↑ B.W.E Alford (2013). W.D. & H.O. Wills and the development of the UK tobacco Industry: 1786-1965. Routledge. pp. 3–4.
  2. ↑ "A Timeline of Events in the History of W.D & H.O. Wills". W.D & H.O. Wills: The Bristol based tobacco company founded in 1786 (website). Retrieved 3 Dec 2017. This same timeline is also found in "Pipes Magazine (website)". Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "W. D. and H. O. Wills". Graces Guide to British Industrial History (website). Retrieved 1 Dec 2017.
  4. 1 2 B.W.E Alford (2013). W.D. & H.O. Wills and the development of the UK tobacco Industry: 1786-1965. Routledge. pp. 99, 117–118.
  5. ↑ "The Late Mr. H.O. Wills". Western Daily Press (24 November 1871). Bristol.
  6. ↑ "Henry Overton Wills II". Notable People of Arnos Vale Cemetery (website). Retrieved 1 Dec 2017.
  7. ↑ George H. Graham. "Henry Overton Wills II JP (1800-1871)". Genealogy: Graham-Milburn family data (website). Retrieved 1 Dec 2017.
  8. ↑ Sir Bernard Burke (1898). "Wills: Baronet of Blagdon and Baronet of Manor Heath". Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. London: Burke's Peerage Limited. p. 1538.


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